Kinsman's Out and Back

The Kinsman's Out and Back is 9.5 miles round trip, starting at Lonesome Lake Trailhead. At AMC book time (half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing), that works out to roughly 5-8 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.

The Kinsman's Out and Back climbs about 3,287 ft over 9.5 miles, an average of roughly 346 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole out-and-back, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.

HikerNerd rates the Kinsman's Out and Back Hard on a six-tier scale from Easy to Most demanding. The rating comes from the route itself: its 9.5 miles, 3,287 ft of gain, and the steepest quarter mile of trail, with routes known for scrambles or ledges rated a step harder. It is the same scale our NH 4,000-footer difficulty ranking uses. Above-treeline exposure, water crossings, and winter conditions can still make a well-rated route the hardest day of your year, so check current conditions before committing.

The Kinsman's Out and Back summits 2 named peaks: South Kinsman Mountain, North Kinsman Mountain.

The Kinsman's Out and Back starts at Lonesome Lake Trailhead. Hikers' trip reports on parking at Lonesome Lake Trailhead: weekends (all seasons), had space in all 4 reports, as late as 9 am; fall weekdays, had space in both reports, as late as 8 am. Check the trail alerts on this page before you drive: trailhead access and parking in the White Mountains change with closures and construction.